The winter resort of Erzurum has applied to be included in the UNESCO "City of Gastronomy" list, aiming to become the 57th member in this category.
The preparation for this step took two years. The process was led by the Tourism and Gastronomy Department of the Erzurum Municipality, which felt it was unjust that their city, known for its rich culinary traditions, had been overlooked by the international organization, while cities like Afyonkarahisar, Gaziantep, and Hatay had long been included in the network of unique gastronomic cities of UNESCO.
The Erzurum administration believes at least seven local dishes are worthy of being included in the unique category. These include the famous Çag Kebab made from marinated lamb, the walnut dessert Dolma-Kadayıf, the traditional flatbread Kete, Lalanga pancakes, cheese pie Su Börek, yogurt soup Ayran-Aşı, and Hangel dumplings with either meat or potato filling.
"When we officially document these dishes, we will ensure that they are passed on to future generations. What is not recorded risks being forgotten. Our goal is to preserve and popularize the rich culinary and cultural heritage of Erzurum," said the mayor of the city, Mehmet Sekmen.
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